Heat-storing and water-evaporating plant



H. PFENNINGER.

HEM STORING AND WATER mmms PLANT. APPLICATION FILED .4 1,1919.

1,418,460. PatentedJune 6,1923.

CIT

UNITED STATES HERMANN PFENNINGER, OF WADENSWIL, SVTITZERLAND.

HEAT-STORING AND WATElt-EVAPORATING PLANT.

Application filed March 21, 1819.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HERMANN PFENNINGER, citizen of Switzerland, residing at lVadens wil. in the Canton of Zurich, Republic of Switzerland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Heat-Storing and Water-Evaporating Plants, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to that class of apparatus which is especially designed for heating liquids by means of electrical current; and it consists in the construction and in a method for the construction of an electric heater wherein liquid containing evaporating elements as Well as electric heating bodies are embedded in heat-storing material.

The object of the invention is to provide means whereby a considerable amount of heat may be stored up at a suitable time before the heated liquid or vapour is used and that during consumption of such heated liquid or vapour no or only little heat has to be added to the heat storing material. In this way the heat necessary to vaporize the water which Will flow through the heat storing material in the day-time may be supplied to this material during night, viz, at

a time of cheaper electric current.

In the accompanying drawing, Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively a longitudinal section and a cross section of the electric heater constructed in accordance with my invention: Some parts are assumed to be removed, and the heating and evaporating elements are shown in elevation.

In the constructional "form of the electric heater illustrated in the drawing, 7 are the water-evaporatingelements and Z the electrical heating elements. All these elements are arranged in a space 7r: enclosed by rubble walls, and are surrounded by heat-storing filling material.

In the present example the evaporating elements consist of heating coils which are arranged in a suitable horizontal distance apart one from another in vertical planes. The electric heating elements Z are arranged in the intermediate spaces and consist in the usual manner of metal tubes with. removable heating bodies inserted therein. These heating elements Z are arranged in vertical planes parallel to the planes of the elements 7 and are mounted in vertical cross walls m fixed to the ends of the heating coils f and Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 284,017.

shut in the ends of the spaces situated between them.

The cross walls 77?. consist of superposed parts held together by fishplates a and are supported on the floor of the space is by means oft angle-irons 0. p is a distributing pipe which serves to supply the water to the evaporating elements 7*; it may be connected to any water supply as for example areservoir or feed piping. (1 is a collecting pipe for the generated stemj it is connected to the upper ends of the elements f and leads to the steam or heat consuming device (not shown). A water gauge may be mounted between the pipes 19 and q by means of flanges 7".-

In two of the tubes constituting th outer part of the electrical heating elements (indicated by hatching in Fig. 2) it is preferred to insert, instead of electrical heating bodies, thermometers with long insertion stems to allow of ascertaining the temperature ex isting in the filling material. The spaces between the several heating and evaporating elements which are open at top and bottom, and are bounded at their ends by the plates m, are assumed to be filled with some kind of stone or rock in the form of large and smalllumps and powder, for instant steatite (steatite waste) This filling material may have an admixture of a binding agent,such as for instance cement, lime, gypsumor the like. Iron chips may also be used as heatstoring filling material. I

The construction of the above described electric heater, so far as it relates to the internal arrangements, maybe efl'ected for instance somewhat as follows First the evaporating elements are arranged in the described manner in the charm ber 70, and the lower halves of the cross walls m are fixed provisionally to the said elements and to the angle-irons 0. Then the filling material is filled in and rammed. l/Vhen the rammed filling has been brought up to the lower edge of the apertures provided in the cross walls at for mounting the lowest heating elements Z, the heating ele ments of the lowest group are then inserted from the right hand side (Fig. 1) through the apertures of the respective cross wall on and are mounted with their closed front ends in the left hand cross wall on. Then the filling and ramming of the filling material is continued, Whilst preferably the'finer ma- Patented June 6,1922;

terial is placed directly around the heating; and (wa' iiorating elements t r the purpose of can :ing the filling material to lie closely in; elements (which may be effected singly or in groups) is coni'iinned until the filling material PlOjOCtS np beyond the upper end oi" the evaporating elements 7. The latter are thus ei'nbedded in the heat-storing maierial throughout their entire extent, so that no loss ol heat can take place from thenn lly proceeding with the insertion of the heah inn elements only at the same rate the innit-storing material is being; tilled in and ramnied. the risk avoided oil such material becoming heaped up against one or the other of the elements and therein toriningg a c:\ ity. As a matter (it tact the filling material is caused to lie closely against the heating; elements 'lrom the bottom to the top at all points.

Radiators of the kind used in steam or warm water heating iilants may be employed as water evaporating: elements instead of the baiting coils Whilst other shapes may be en'iployed instead of the rodlike electrical heating bodies. in evaporator of the lcind described may be employed tor different purposes. tor instance in combination. with a steam heating; plant tor the purpose of rc-evaporatin o the water of condensation discharged 'trorn the heating bodies.

In this case the improved evaporator preferably connected in parallel with the steam boiler, so that according; to circnnistances, after the heating; plant as been sapplied once from the steam boiler. either the improved evaporator alone can maintain the heating. or it can be helped by the steam. boiler.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of 111 said. invention and in what manner the same is to be performed. I declare that what. I claim is 1. An electric heater comprising in combination a chamber. a plurality of tubelike horizontal evaporating elements located :erc'n ant. a. g in vertical plane parallel one to anotier, electrical heating bodies also located in said chamber and aJrangul in groups in vertical planes; a'liicl are parallel to the planes in which said evaporating; elements are disposed. the groniris oi evaporating elements alternating with the Q'ronps oi the electrical heating bodies, heat-storing material filled in said chamber between the li'lii'erent elements ant. the h aating; bodies and in close cont thereto.

2. in electric heater compr' "as: in combination a chamber. a plurality oi water leading" coils located therein and z-i rangrd in vertical planes parallel one to another. lectric heating elements consisting (it tubes with removable heating bodies inserted therein. said tubes being iii-ranged horiizontally in groups in vertical planes parallel to the planes in which the sa d coils are arranged. heat-storing material tilled in said :hamber between the hcating coils and ti e said tubes so as to lie as closely as possib c up against the Water-coils and the tubes.

21. An electric heater comprising in con"- hination a chambelx a plurality oi? water leading coils located therein and arranged in vertical planes parallel one to another, el ctric heating elements consistiniz' o'l with removable heating bodies imam-ted therein, said tribes being: horizrnita ly a, ranged in anes parallel to the abrrze mentioned planes a vertical cross parti...on on each end of sail coils resting on the lioor of said. chamber. holding: in place said coils and iorining he. lugs for the heating: elements whicl'i are inserted from outside thron 'h a oi said chamber par' llel to t tic iss partitioi'ni, tii'ic-tliritleil l 1 n'iaterial being tilled in bet zreen the vatewleading; coils, the heating: elements and said partitions so as to lie as iloselr as 

